Bell Atlantic Customers in New Jersey To Enjoy Free Toll Calls

Bell Atlantic Customers in New Jersey To Enjoy
Free Toll
Calls

First Regional Bell Operating Company to Offer Free Regional Toll
Calls on Sundays...and Free Sundaes,
too

October 6, 1996

NEWARK, NJ - Sundays are on us. That's right, free.
Starting Oct. 6,
New Jersey consumers who are enrolled in Bell Atlantic's
SoundMinutes^SM intrastate regional
calling plan can make free,
unlimited direct-dialed regional toll calls on Sundays for the next
six months.

"SoundMinutes is a good example of how Bell Atlantic is providing
increased value to its customers with simplified and lower pricing
versus the competition," said Len Lauer, president and
CEO of Bell Atlantic, New Jersey.

Bell Atlantic is the first regional Bell operating company to
offer
free regional toll calls on Sundays as part of an optional calling
plan.

"The increased value of SoundMinutes will allow our customers to
extend their communities by reaching out to even more new friends,"
added Lauer.

Consumers will get free regional toll calls on Sundays when they sign
up for SoundMinutes, a flat-rate, optional, regional toll calling plan
that allows residential customers to make direct-dialed, intrastate
regional toll calls for $.10 per minute evenings (5 p.m. to 8 a.m.)
and weekends and $.12 per minute weekdays (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.). Free
Sundays will be part of the plan for six months from Oct. 6 through
Sunday, March 30, 1997. In addition to free Sundays, SoundMinutes
customers will automatically save 20 percent when their monthly
regional toll bill totals $20 or more, via Bell Atlantic's 20/20
Savings Plan. Bell Atlantic will top off free regional toll calls on
Sundays with another free "Sundae" for SoundMinutes customers
-- a
Dairy Queen coupon for a free ice cream sundae valid in most Dairy
Queen locations in New Jersey.

"Bell Atlantic is delighted to partner with Dairy Queen to offer
customers a fun way to treat themselves twice with the 'free Sundays'
theme," said Thomas E. Mazerski, executive director, Consumer Toll
Marketing.

For free Sundays and a free sundae, customers can call (800)
243-7000
and ask for operator 9789 to sign up for the SoundMinutes plan.

Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:
BEL) is at the forefront of the new
communications, entertainment and information industry. In the
mid-Atlantic region, the company is the premier provider of local
telecommunications and advanced services. Globally, it is one of the
largest investors in the high-growth wireless communication
marketplace. Bell Atlantic also owns a substantial interest in
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand and is actively developing
high-growth national and international business opportunities in all
phases of the industry.

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